Bridges to a Brighter Future is a nationally awarded comprehensive college access and success program for Greenville County, South Carolina high school and college students whose potential outdistances their circumstances. Bridges engages students in an intensive seven-year program that begins after ninth grade and ends at college graduation.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

The Bridges to a Brighter Future program is going to be awarded $100,000 from The Graham Foundation to establish the Bridges to a Brighter Future / Graham Foundation Faculty Endowment for the Arts & Sciences.

As we work to plan the four-week program each summer, I work to raise money for various things like: the ropes course, college trips, weekend activities, t-shirts, etc.... However, what is most beneficial for the program is to receive funding to increase our endowment. The endowment is basically a savings account. Money goes into the savings account and interest is earned. We then receive money to run the program from the interest earned from the savings account.

This $100,000 gift will go into a new endowment that will permanently provide funding to pay for the Science and Art Teacher positions in Bridges. This is important because we did not have funding to support Science as one of your classes or Art a full-time class rather than an elective.

What is most important about this gift is that we got it because of all of you. We got it because of your impressive achievements, hard work, and commitment to Bridges to a Brighter Future. This is for YOU because of YOU.